A recap from the groundbreakings of Presby’s newest Affordable Housing communities, Cantrell Place in South Philadelphia and Witherspoon Senior Apartments in Southwest Philadelphia.

Within a week at the end of September, Presby’s Inspired Life broke ground on two new, long-awaited senior Affordable Housing communities — Cantrell Place in South Philadelphia and Witherspoon Senior Apartments on the 58th Street Campus in Southwest Philadelphia. Both groundbreakings featured remarks from local officials and dignitaries, ceremonial dirt shoveling and coverage from Philadelphia media and were well attended by members of the local community.

Both Cantrell Place and Witherspoon Senior Apartments are slated to open in 2018.

Please see below for a recap of both groundbreakings.

Cantrell Place – Wednesday, Sept. 20

On Wednesday, Sept. 20, a large crowd gathered under the strong late-summer sun at 5th and Cantrell Streets in South Philadelphia as Presby’s Inspired Life broke ground on Cantrell Place.

Among those who attended and spoke was Philadelphia Mayor James Kenney, a South Philly native who grew up on Cantrell Street.

“The seniors in this neighborhood have done so much for us and this is why they deserve to live comfortably and securely,” Mayor Kenney said. “They especially deserve to remain in their neighborhoods where they’ve lived their entire lives.”

Cantrell Place, sponsored by Presby’s Inspired Life, will offer adults 62 and better a new Affordable Housing option within Philadelphia, a city that is working to ensure that all of its residents, not just seniors, have access to safe and Affordable Housing. This development will transform 33 blighted vacant lots into the 61 new Affordable Housing units. The project has been in development since 2011.

For a renderings and more details on the community, please click here.

Witherspoon Senior Apartments – Wednesday, Sept. 27

Exactly a week later under similarly hot early-fall sunshine, Presby’s was back on location with local officials and residents to break more ground. This time, the setting was the 58th Street campus in Southwest Philadelphia as Presby broke ground on Witherspoon Senior Aparments.

A crowd chock-full of fellow campus residents and dignitaries gathered to hear remarks from leaders such as Philadelphia City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson (pictured above).

“A project like this is close and near and dear to my heart,” Councilman Johnson said. “It’s a project like this that allows the residents — the long-term residents — who live in Southwest Philadelphia the opportunity to live and stay where they grew up.”

“This is such important work we’re doing here,” Jeremiah said of Witherspoon Senior Apartments. “More than 80,000 Philadelphians need Affordable Housing, many of them seniors.”

Witherspoon Senior Apartments will be the fourth community on Presby’s 58th Street Campus, joining Ann Thomas Apartments, Greenway Apartments and Mary Field Apartments. The campus currently serves 240 seniors and has another 500 on respective waiting lists.

When completed in 2018, Witherspoon Senior Apartments will feature 60 units of Affordable Housing for adults 62 and better.

For a renderings and more details on the community, please click here.